Inhibitors of Continuous Improvement on Manufacturing Performance in Export-based Furniture Industry

Abstract

The Malaysia export-based furniture industry has contributed significantly to the Malaysia economy over the years. Ranked as one of top furniture country exporter, the industry starts experiencing stagnant in 2014. Dependency on producing quality products to be exported worldwide, the industry in need of continuous improvement to ensure better manufacturing performance. This research therefore aimed to study the inhibitors of continuous improvement on manufacturing performance. Quantitative approach is selected as research methodology to reach the aim of research. A total number of 200 Malaysian furniture manufacturers participated in this research using the structured questionnaire. The data obtained are analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software. Few analyses were conducted to identify the inhibitors of continuous improvement. Pearson's Correlation Analysis is deployed to study how the inhibitors influence manufacturing performance and Multiple Regression Analysis used to study the most significant inhibitor. Overall, all the five inhibitors exhibited significant positive relationship with manufacturing performance. The result of the research also revealed, out of the five identified inhibitors, measurement and information deployment influenced the most.